Learning
by pinkmuffinz
Summary: Sakura has learned from witnessing her mother's agony that men are living tragedies. Will getting into an arranged marriage with Sasuke Uchiha change her mind, or convince her? Sasusaku
1. Chapter 1

Today is my wedding day, an arranged marriage.

I always knew my dad was crazy to get rid of me, but never did I think he would do this!

Dad knew I was scared of getting married- so scared I'd abandoned my clique in high school when they got engaged. You see, my father had been horrible when I was three- he killed my mom when he knew that she found out that he was cheating on her. Not letting his pride die by her, my father murdered her that night with a gun...and I was right there, a witness.

No one knew about my mom's murder. They just thought she became suicidal after hearing the news. A few years later, my dad went to a bar and brought some slut home with him. She became pregnant, and the foreign Ms. Marisa Cornfell became Mrs. Marisa Haruno, my new stepmother.

Ever since they got married, Dad's been less careless about me, even though he's marrying me off to some man I've never met before.

"Aren't you excited, Sakura-chan?" Marisa asked in that much-too-sweet voice of hers. Even now, I remember how my mom would sound sweet, but not to the point to give you a headache.

"Yes ma'am," I replied. Dad wouldn't let me call her Marisa.

"At least be more enthusiastic, deary!" she giggled. Great, I'm going to faint on my way down the aisle...

We turned to the church, and I made my way in.

* * *

I should be nervous, sweating down to the core, but I'm not.

Here I am, getting ready to meet the man I'm about to spend the rest of my life with, yet I'm calm and wondering what kind of cake there will be. Maybe I know there's always divorce if I stay away from this 'Sasuke Uchiha' long enough.

As I made my way down the aisle, my eyes meet with those of my future husband.

Crap, he was hot...avoiding him is gonna be hard...but he looks...happy?

He seems to be very happy! What the hell is wrong with that idiot? From those stupid magazines that Uchiha fangirls oggle at, I found out that Sasuke was caught cheating with his current three girlfriends. He still has two of them, though!

So much for "Have fun with your rockin' life, Sakura" from Dad. I knew Mom wouldn't like this at all. What if I die early? That'd be a whole lot better than being ignored. But dammit, this will be the hardest thing in my life. Please forgive me, Mom.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Hi!!! I should be making more chpters for my other stories, but I can't think of anything!!! Please help me with new ideas!**

**pinkmuffinz**


	2. Chapter 2

Why me?

That bastard-who-is-now-my-life-mate left right after the wedding! What the freak?!

I know that all men are tragedies, but I couldn't help but feel a little dissapointed...if I had such a horrible childhood, so why can't I have a better adulthood? Headache...

After going to my new house (I found the address on some fangirl website), I met my in-laws. Mikoto, my mother-in-law, was very umm, childish. She was really happy to see me, because she had said, "Oh! What a wonderful daughter-in-law I have! She's sooooo cute! And look at that beautiful pink hair. She looks just like the former Mrs. Haruno, minus the green eyes. Sakura-chan looks like a little doll, and not one of those sluts with thick eyeliner!"

Fugaku, my father-in-law, was a very stoic man. He seemed _very_ happy when he found out that I wasn't one of the whores Sasuke dated. He warmed up to me kind of...

And Itachi? HOW THE FREAK IS THAT MAN SINGLE? Ahem, my brother-in-law is really rich, and has no social life, much less a love life. He's cool, and he actually said hello when I introduced myself, unlike some other people -coughsasukecough- He has a nice sense of humor, too, and he lives for sarcasm. Awesome, I know.

Sasuke didn't come home until way past midnight, when I was in the middle of dreaming about not getting married. He smelled like a lot of alcohol and...raspberries? No, it was raspberry perfume, some brand I couldn't place a finger on...Oh my god, he just f-ed his girlfriend, didn't he?

Somehow, I wasn't surprised at all. No crying, no depression, no worry. Am I retarded? My friends that showed up at my wedding (Ino, Tenten, Hinata, Temari, and my super-awesome stepsister, Karin) had freaked out when their husbands had the tiniest whiff of alcohol. So am I just unexperienced?

My "husband" climbed into the bed and laid next to me. He was just staeing at me, I could tell...He finally closed his eyes and slept.

I waited a few minutes before getting up and leaving. I needed to be around friends-any friends.

Thinking for a few minutes, I went into a cafe, where all of my BFF's hung out every Friday sround midnight. Luckily, they were still there, and let me join them.

"Imouto, shouldn't you be at the Uchiha mansion? You should be...um, you know what people do on their wedding nights..." Karin, my sister muttered.

"Karin, you have Suigetsu with you...Life isn't fair. Why do you get to have a happy ending?!" I practically screeched.

My happy ending wasn't this, not at all. My happy ending was becoming a doctor (done), adopting a child (not yet), and clearing my mother's name (done). As you can see, none of this had to do with getting married. The kid would have a single mother...and a happy ending.

"Dear imouto, cleaning up diapers and getting it on all night, every night isn't a happy ending...well, for you."

"Sakura-chan, what happened?" Tenten asked calmly.

"Yeah, Forehead-girl! If that bastard does anything to you, we'll kick his ass!" Ino added with enthusiasm.

Temari and Hinata sat there, calmly waiting for my answer. At least some people were still sane.

"Well, he went out at the end of the party, you remember? And then he went to his girlfriend's house and just returned! Do you believe that?" I said, trying to be calm.

"Yes, actually. Naruto said he'd cheat on his girlfriends...what a playboy..." Hinata mumbled.

"I see. But why can't he at least change? Even for a while?" I asked no one in particular.

* * *

I'm home, and it's about five in the morning. Sasuke is still sleeping in his room, and Mikoto and Fugaku had enough sympathy to let me stay in a guest room until I felt more comfortable. I told them about what had happened, and they believed me! They said that Sasuke could be a jerk sometimes, and for me to just walk away or confront one of my in-laws for help.

That sounded really nice, since no one had done anything lately to lift my mood. These were awesome in-laws!

Sasuke woke up this morning, not really caring that I was not in bed. This made me really mad, so Itachi told me to go outside and cool my mind.

How understanding, Itachi. I needed to go to someone. Karin? That'll be nice.

* * *

"Karin, what should I do? I don't even care about him, so why am I feeling like this?"

"Well, you should just dump the bastard and find another guy-" Suigetsu tried to say.

"That's right! Suigetsu is right, let's find you another guy. He's having affairs, so you should be able to have affairs, too."

"It doesn't feel right...I'd feel guilty."

"You think that men are tragedies, Sakura. Why not release stress and find some true LOVE?"

"Fine, but how?"

"You know how you used to have a crush on Inuzuka Kiba in high school? Yeah, well now he's single," Suigetsu said. Ugh, Mister Know-It-All...

I don't know...Every time I see Kiba in the hospital, hurt, my heart hurts too. Is that the feeling that comes with being a doctor, or are they true feelings?

"Well, since I kinda knew you'd hate Uchiha, I kinda set you up on a date with Kiba in a few nights...Gomenasai."

"You're the best sister ever, Karin-chan!"

* * *

Sasuke was actually there when I got home. Oh my God, did I type that right? Yes, I did.

Well, he wasn't waiting for me- he was waiting for his only girlfriend, Chika. She was invited over for a makeout session, it seemed, because as soon as she stepped in the door, Sasuke was right there, kissing her.

Gross!

Didn't he know I was there? I actually greeted him a few minutes ago! Whatever.

As soon as I reached my room, I called Kiba, my new awesome boyfriend.

"Kiba-kun?"

_"Oh my gosh, Sakura-chan?! It's been such a long time! You still sound wonderful, that's for sure. How's life? I heard you got married off to Uchiha, hope you're okay-"_

"Actually, Kiba-kun, I'm not okay. This whole marriage is taboo for me, ya know? And I feel so alone! U-umm, can we change the date to tonight at that old park outside the city? I need to talk to someone now."

_"Sure, I don't see why we couldn't. I'm kinda single, ya heard? This date will be awesome..."_

Or will it? "Okay, see you in a few minutes."

I hung up and got ready.

Kiba was already there, seeing as his apartment was right across from the park. He was a vet, so his office was right next to his apartment. I asked if I could visit, and he led the way to the neat little space next to the park.

"Kiba-kun, it's so lively and neat here!" Truly, I never cleaned my office- well, I would, but it got dirty with paperwork in ten minutes.

"Thanks, but you wanted to talk?"

"Right...Well, Sasuke seemed happy at the church, but he just seemed really grumpy after he came home. I think he broke up with one of his girlfriends...but he still has Chika! I hate this so much! I thought my own father would understand me, you know, the man who controls my life. I feel so alone! Even with my friends, but they're married! We're the only ones in our group who aren't married!" I made myself cry.

"Sakura-chan, I think you're stressed. Maybe we should rush this relationship a little, to catch up with the others."

"O-Okay, I guess."

And then, I felt a little worse than I already did.

* * *

**Hi! Please review, at least 2 reviews until next update...**

**Thank you, this story has been on alerts and favorites, but there have been no reviews. THIS STORY IS SASUSAKU!!!!**

**pinkmuffinz**


	3. Chapter 3

**SASUKE'S POV**

I followed Sakura Uchiha around that day. I'd heard that she was afriad of men...At first, I thought that was stupid, so I thought it was a rumor to make herself more noticeable. Well, I decided that to ask my parents about her- even if they didn't know what she looked like at first, they had to know her background, right?

Yeah, well, the rumor wasn't just a rumor, it was true. Her dad murdered her mom for some relationship problem, and she was standing right in front of him. A few days later, he went and impregnated some whore and forgot about her for a period of time. Then, his company went down and he decided this arranged marriage would help his work.

I wasn't mad at her anymore after learning that...Actually, I felt sympathy for her. Now, I decided to see how strong her faith was in this marriage- I invited Chika, a friend in high school, over and pretended to make out with her.

Sakura had no faith at all, it seemed. I followed her, like I said earlier, and saw her meet up with a vet, Kiba Inuzuka. Then I felt something twitch in my heart- Kiba had just kissed her! On the cheek, I mean. I wasn't jealous! No, really. And this isn't just one of my plans to prove that I'm not homosexual, either. Maybe it was first at sight, but I felt relieved when I saw that Sakura Haruno was my bride.

She's home now... Time to ask her a few things...

**SAKURA'S POV**

I walked home after my date with Kiba. Walking into my room, I saw...

Sasuke Uchiha, standing there with his arms crossed, frowning.

What'd he want now?!

"Sakura-san, I am aware of your little 'affair' with Inuzuka...Do you mind explaining?" he asked in a (mock) polite tone.

I wasn't going to tell him that I saw his affair with Chika in person- I wasn't going to tell him how dissapointed I was in this marriage. Sakura Haruno, now Uchiha, was never jealous, especially when it was about love. I don't fall in love- ever.

"First of all, it wasn't an affair, okay? It was just old friends meeting up and talking about life. And that tiny kiss on the cheek was just because we have a brother-sister relationship. Does that answer your question?" I snapped.

And then, I noticed something- how did this bastard know what I did?!

"Sorry, Sasuke-san, but um...are you a stalker or a pedophile? Like, I'm five years younger than you, STALKER!"

"No, Sakura-san, I'm your husband. I have the right to ask you."

"Well, I wasn't the one who had a whole make out session with someone!" Oh, crap! Word Vomit!

Oh my gosh, what is up with this idiot? He's smirking!

"That's nice to know Sakura-chan. I'll explain this whole plan to you, okay? As you know, I have my own business, and I want it to last a while and still be successful. I want my heirs to have a good family, not an awkward one. What do you say we get to know each other better...as in a couple?"

"No! Just go away..."

I needed time to think, but why couldn't he understand that? I have a headache, for the second time during this arranged marriage...

* * *

**Okay, so a lot of people wanted to know why Chika was used instead of Karin...Well, it's because I'm bored of reading fanfics with Karin as the bad guy, so I decided to make her related to Sakura.**

**Please review! Once again, many favorites and alerts, but no reviews... :(**

**pinkmuffinz**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Naruto...**

**Thanks for the support! Please send a review (and if possible, an idea)...**

* * *

I hate this! No, not the marriage, the aspirin pills! It's like they are food now, since I have to have them every two hours...

Sasuke hasn't been helpful at all. I wanted to rest and get over the headache, but he insisted on helping me. What a cheating bastard! (thank you **_xEMOtIoNaLLyCOnSTipaTEDx_**)

And now, do you know where I am? In his bedroom! This is so wrong. Well, not totally, but...

I don't feel right. I'm starting to really like him, as in like-like. This is so foreign! I vowed not to fall in love, and here I am, blushing as red as a tomato as Sasuke lays next to me.

"Sakura, promise this won't happen again."

Oh, so now he's Mr. Possessive? What a cheater.

"Sakura? Can you promise me that?"

"Promise you what?" I spat. I heard him slightly wince, and he buried his face in my hair.

"Hey, what did we say about personal space?"

"Sorry, dearie..."

I don't like him. I'm not going to promise that jerk anything!

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

I'm leaving. It's too painful! I started to warm up to him, and we started going on dates, kissing, making out, you get it.

And just when I've fully trusted him, BAM! He goes and has sex with Chika! I didn't tell him I was gonna move next door. Let him suffer!

I didn't want to feel the pain anymore. I didn't want anyone to know I still existed. So I did the only thing I could- fake suicide.

A few hours later, when Sasuke finally noticed I was gone, he became depressed kind of.

Well, I'm not a stalker or anything, but I could see him from the studio of my mansion. He was always in bed, and he wouldn't look at food at all. I'm guessing the fake suicde was harsher then I thought...much harsher. I kept having to remind myself that I don't love him at all.

But a few weeks later, I found it impossible to convince myself. And...wait!

Why am I telling you the future stuff? I should be describing the suicide scene! I am so dumb!

So...Let us start over, ne?

Oka, so I was on a date with Sasuke-kun, and we were all "Oh, your eyes are lovely!" and "You're so cute!" at an ice cream shop.

Everyone walking by thought this arranged marriage was the best thing that happened to this city since the mean soup kitchen server fell into a barrel of grapes and never got out. You gotta admit...she was pretty fat...On with the story!

So Sasuke told me to go ahead and go home by myself, since he was gonna drop into his office to get all of his paperwork done. And being the loyal wife I was, I listened to him. Sasuke was really sweet, if you knew him really (really really really) well. He smirked and kissed my forehead, mumbling a soft "I love you, Sakura-chan."

I replied with a "I love you too, Sasuke-kun."

Well, we headed our seperate ways and disappeared from each other's sight. I headed straight into the kitchen, ready to make onigiri for Sasuke as a surprise. I knew he hated sweets, so he must still feel miserable with the ice cream flavor in his mouth!

It took me about an hour to get everything right, and I set off for dear Sasuke-kun's office. As I neared the room, however, I heard really very superduper loud moans and screams. Deciding it was nothing too important, I opened the door, ready to glomp Sasuke and give him the food I worked so hard on.

What I saw really knocked the wind out of me- Sasuke and Chika were on against the wall, doing "IT." I'll let your wonderful minds work a while to think up the image.

Nothing had ever hurt more than this. I'd given this man a lot of chances- he had more chances than any guy I'd ever seen! But then he goes and ruins it. All of it. They didn't hear me at the door, either. I didn't expect them to.

Just the opposite of the pain I felt- the pain was absolutely unexpected. Of course, Chika was more valuable than I would ever be. What with her smooth, golden locks and her bright cerulean eyes, her totally awesome curves and her super smooth skin. She could beat Ino! No, I'm exaggerating.

But she was still the type of girl that any other woman would die to be. The type of girl I want to be. Not only were her looks goddess-like, her personality was too. Soft, calm voice; intelligent (not as much as me, though); pacifist; happy and optimistic. The things I couldn't even _dream_ for!

So why was I so broken? I should have known all along. Men are all living tragedies, right? Didn't my mother implant that into my mind when she died? She never said it out loud before, but I knew she was miserable around my father.

I'm starting to think this lesson was misunderstood. Maybe it was never believe in true love? No, that's not right. I guess I'll stick to men are living tragedies.

As things started to get heated again, I left the room quietly. There was nothing I could do to change Sasuke's devotion to Chika. I felt useless again, the same feeling that appeared in my heart so long ago when Mom died. Except this time, it hit me ten times harder.

I didn't cry- there was no reason to. The receptionist and Sasuke's other workers looked at me with sympathy.

But I didn't need sympathy. A person with a broken heeart would think sympathy was useless, and it was. What I needed was empathy- someone who understands. A mom.

Mikoto was still too formal around me, and there was no way I'd go to my stepmother. I left for the cemetery, ready with a bouquet of buttercups, the only flowers I could find. Buttercups. Childishness. This made me feel worse, but I kept on walking.

"Mother, will you believe it? I placed all of my faith in one guy, and he never loved me back. Is this something passed down from you to me?" I stroked the gravestone cautiously.

"I've been so faithful in him. Did you know I never thought of Kiba after the talk?" I weeped.

"What is wrong with me? I'm such a horrible person..."

Then comes the fake suicide.

"Thank you for watching over me, mom. You've influenced my next rockin' idea."

I wiped away my tears, and headed to my room, the guestroom. There, I made a call to one of my former classmate's new company: Suicide for Hire

That night, after Sasuke came home, exhausted, I climbed out of my window and opened the door of the mansion next to the Uchihas. I had just bought it with my own money. Being a doctor has awesome pay.

I had already furnished the house, with the help of Karin and my friends. Peeping out the window of my bedroom, I could see Sasuke's bedroom and the living room. The telephone rang, and Fugaku picked it up. I listened to the walkie-talkie thing I left next to the phone.

I could hear it now:

"What?" Fugaku grumble.

"Hello, sir. Are you a member of the Uchiha family?"

"Yes, what do you need?" He sound professional now.

"Well, sir, what is your name?"

"Fugaku Uchiha. May I help you?!"

"Oh, yes! I would like to inform you that Sakura-san has passed away about four hours ago. We are about to cremate her corpse, and we would like to know if you want to keep the ashes...?"

"W-What?!"

"Yes sir, Sakura-san is about to be cremated within the next thirty minutes-"

"Wait, talk to my son, Sasuke." Sasuke held the phone, I saw

"What?!" His facial expression showed annoyance.

"Is this the husband of Uchiha Sakura-san?"

"Hai. Why the hell are you calling?" He looked very annoyed now that there was a man on the other side.

"Aaa, no need for harsh words, sir. We would like to ask if you if you would want Sakura-san's ashes after the private cremation."

"What?" He looked blank now. "If this is a joke, it isn't funny."

"I assure you, this is no joke. Please give us an answer now."

"Fine, I'll keep them."

And that is when my life started getting interesting, along with spying, heartbreak, betrayal, and a _lot_ of angst.

But that, my dear readers, is for another chappie.

* * *

**Please review if you want another chappie soon! I will update as soon as I get a total of...10 reviews! (And maybe chocolate from a friend...?)**

**Arigato for reading!**

**pinkmuffinz**


	5. Chapter 5

**This will be my last update for a while...yeah, gonna be busy. Thanks for the awesome advice, everyone! So happy! You've totally made my day, which is why I updated today...**

This was kind of unexpected...I found the urge to go back to Sasuke and confront him, get it all over with and release the tension in my heart. One day at the hospital during my break, I felt this urge increase.

On instinct, my feet led me to the Uchiha mansion. I had to do this now, or shy away from it when my soul urge lessened. Knocking on the door, I heard glass shatter, women screaming, and wide eyes.

"S-Sakura?!" Fugaku asked uncertainly.

"Yes sir. I'm here to talk to Sasuke. Is he at home right now?" I bit back the temptation to hug Mikoto, who was hugging me and crying.

"Y-yeah...H-he's somewhere in his room." Mikoto finally blurted.

Nodding, I headed upstairs. I saw Sasuke there, and I felt the strange warm feeling I hadn't felt for two years. (Yes, two years have passed)

He looked shocked to see me there, standing in front of him with watery eyes.

Do you know why there were "watery eyes?"

_Flashback (1 year and 4 months ago)_

_'Oh, I'm so happy to know that I actually have a caring husband!' I thought as soon as I stared into Sasuke's room. He had a longing look in his face._

_'Maybe I'll reveal myself soon,' I thought excitedly. This would be a happy ending for me._

_The door into his room opened, and in walked Chika. She was crying, and her eyes were puffy. I listened through the walkie-talkie I placed in his room when he was asleep._

_"Sasuke-kun, I'm so happy!" she had cheered. So they were tears of happiness._

_"Yes, have you decided what color the theme of the wedding should be?"_

_That bastard! That lying, cheating bastard! How could he whore around like that?! That jerk! If he had endured the sorrow, if he felt any, for a few more weeks, I would have revealed myself! Dammit! He moved on so quickly!_

_And that was when I decided, I need to move on, too._

_End Flashback_

"Yes, Sasuke-kun. I am alive."

"T-Then where were you? We looked everywhere for you!" He looked really happy. I had a hard time convincing myself it was fake.

"Well, you didn't look hard enough! I've been living in the mansion next door, you idiot!" I screamed at him.

"B-But-"

"That's not what I'm here for, Sasuke-kun. I'm here to ask you a couple of questions, okay?" Sasuke nodded his approval.

"Alright. Please choose: me or Chika?" I gulped, waiting for the results.

"You! Why would I choose Chika?"

Liar.

"Well, why would you plan a wedding that's gonna take place in a week? Do you mind explaining?!" I cried now.

"I-I don't know! It was just an...an impulse, okay?" His eyes tear up slightly.

"So did you act on an impulse when you chose me?" I whispered.

"Sasuke-kun, I think that we should settle this once and for all. Do you want us to still be a married or not?" I ask, my voice breaking.

"Sakura-chan, I think..."

* * *

**Ah, a cliffy, sort of.**

**I didn't have time to make the chapter longer, so sorry! I have the next chapter written, though not typed. Trust me, it is very long! Over 7 pages! So...in two weeks...**

**Please review!**

**pinkmuffinz**


	6. Chapter 6

**Aah, another chapter. Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Some tests were coming up, and I couldn't even put my pencil down for at least an hour! **

**So to make it up to you...yeah, I'll just stop talking now...**

"...I think we should think about this for a while, Sakura. I know that we were really starting to get to know each other, but I still want time to decide." What a jerk!

"I see. But Sasuke-kun, I've already made my decision- I think we should get a divorce." Sasuke's eyes widened. He looked scared...

"You can't do that! Why?! Let's talk it over, okay?" I shook my head no.

"No, Sasuke-kun. We don't need to talk it over. Can't you see how simple it is? You were cheating on me behind my back and I found out. I faked suicide, and you proposed to someone else without a second thought. Now, if we get a divorce, you won't be cheating anymore, and I can move on with my life. Simple, isn't it? And we both become happier than we are now!" It made perfect sense to me.

"But you don't understand! You don't know how attached I became to you after we got married. Please let me explain!" He had on that same pleading look.

"NO! Why can't you just accept reality?We could be happier-"

"But no one else will be. My parents, your parents, _Naruto, Ino_...None of them would be happy."

"Sasuke! This is about us, our marriage. They don't mean anything, not in this situation."

Sasuke looked horrified. Then, the most unexpected thing happened. _He started to cry._

_Sakura, don't be affected by him_

_Don't be affected_

_Don't be affected_

_Don't be freakin affected!_

But I couldn't help myself. I turned to face the window where my mansion was, not wanting him to see the tears that cascaded down my own cheeks.

He walked over and wrapped his arms tightly around me, still crying loudly. After five minutes, we both calmed down a little.

"Sakura-chan, what will it take for you to stay here and be mines?" What was today? Valentines Day? No way...

"Sasuke, that's not an option right now. You have a wedding coming up soon, and I want to go on with my life without you. How about we let go for a while and find another special someone?"

"But two years apart is long enough to last a lifetime-"

"Sasuke, if we could live without each other when we weren't married, we could do the same now. If the whole 'other person' thing doesn't work out, then we can reconsider getting back together, okay?" I gulped. This plan sounded worse by the second.

"I don't want another person in this relationship. And reconsider? As in only thinking about?" he looked really angry now.

"Yes, reconsider. Maybe one of us is okay with the 'other person' plan-"

"More like the intruder plan," he scoffed, frustrated.

"Stop that! You were okay with letting Chika intrude in this relationship to help you let go! Why can't you let _me _have a shoulder to cry on?" I was near tears again.

"Chika never intruded into any of this, okay?! You were the one who intruded here!" Traitor tears...

I regained my composure and sighed. "Do you mind explaining?" I hissed.

"Chika and I were together ever since junior high. We were ready to tell my parents that we were engaged after high school, but they beat me to it, saying I was engaged to you. Do you know how hard it was for her to accept that?" he yelled.

"That wasn't my fault," I was still calm, "Did you seriously think that I would want to get married? I thought you would at least understand! I've explained it to you so many times!" Lost the calm demeanor...

"Then leave! Maybe you are right- we'll all be happier."

Was he kidding?!

"Fine. The divorce papers will be in your office tomorrow, Sasuke." I walked out, passing Mikoto on the way.

She held my wrist and pleaded, crying.

"Sakura-chan! I don't want to have that slut around as my daughter-in-law. She threatened to kill Aki, my grandson. She's crazy!"

I stared at her calmly, hiding my tears. I was really close to Aki. (Itachi got a divorce five years ago, I found out.)

"Uchiha-san, I am sorry, but as of tomorrow, I won't have any relations to the your family. Please tell Aki that I wish him the best of luck!"

I forced a smile, and turned away.

* * *

I was depressed.

For a whole week after the divorce, I couldn't get out of the house.

My friends came over, bringing tons of sweets and horror movies to watch with me, my sister and Suigetsu included.

I had a nice time, but I felt...dead.

Every time they all went home, I would stop and think: _Why do I feel like this? I 've dated two other guys, and their break ups had no effect on me..._

"Sakura-chan!"

I snapped my head up to see Naruto standing there, waving his arms like a buffoon.

"Yes, Naruto?"

I liked having Naruto around- he always brought Hinata with him, and we'd goof off and take my mind off the divorce.

I returned to work after a week's vacation, and everyone in the hospital was happy to see me healthy again.

"I'm fine. Just the shock of divorce, ya know?" I smiled and told them.

How I wished for that to be the truth. Unfortunately, some people have less luck than others.

I sighed- I've been doing that a lot since after the divorce.

"Momoka, can you give Hiro-san his next appointment date?" I asked one of my best (friend) nurses.

"Hai, you can go to the next patient now, Sakura-sama!" she smiled to cheer me up.

I was slightly grateful that everyone had sympathy for me.

No one close to me except my deceased mother would understand how I felt. At least they bothered to show me comfort.

Why was I so depressed about this divorce anyway? I should be happy. Unless...I'm really starting to fall in love with Sasuke.

Or maybe I'm already in.

Huh.

I was starting to suspect that theory every day, and every day proved the theory to be more and more correct.

But every time I thought of this, I would hit myself in the head, thinking of how dumb it was.

_He isn't yours anymore._

_He never was yours to begin with, dumbass!_

_Why are you still trying to figure this out?_

**_It's over._**

Then I would cry, and someone would hug me and tell me everything would be okay.

* * *

**Day of Sasuke's and Chika's Wedding (Sasuke POV)**

This doesn't feel right.

The thought of what Chika and I are going to do tonight freaks me out.

I knew she wouldn't hear any objections, so what can I do?

The only person I want standing next to me is...

"SAKURA?!"

"Yes, Sasuke?"

Why was she so calm? I couldn't even sleep after she left!

"Sasuke, you look horrible! Hahaha, aw, you're in such a cute suit...Smile! Don't look so constipated on your wedding day!"

Sakura touched my cheeks and laughed heartily.

Was this a joke of some sort?

I reluctantly smiled...just for her.

"Hey Sasuke! The ceremony is about to start!" yelled Chika's brother. Great.

"Alright, I'll be there. Just...give me a few more minutes!" I replied.

"Sakura, we can get remarried today...Would you like that? I would," I said, turning to Sakura.

"No, Sasuke. It's Chika's turn now."

Suddenly, the smile and cheerfulness slipped away from her face to reveal the sad, miserable one.

With one last glance toward me, she turned around and walked to her seat at the front row.

* * *

Stupid priest...

One of my brother's friends (Hidan) is in charge of the part of the priest.

He dragged on and on, making me slowly lose all the dignity I had. Seriously, this guy was cursing like there was no tomorrow!

"Sasuke?" he asked.

Crap, my turn to say "I do."

But...I don't want to. It felt weird, finally getting to marry Chika. There was no love, not like the wedding with Sakura.

Sakura stared up at me, expecting me to say those dreaded two words.

Something glinted in her eyes, though.

Was it remorse?

"Sasuke!" Hidan was mad now. Crap.

"I..."

Maybe it was fate. Or true love.

"...don't."

Gasps and murmurs spread throughout the crowd. My parents beamed at me, and Itachi smirked and mouthed "_Awesome."_

"Hn. I'm sorry, Chika. We can still be friends, but this isn't right. I feel more comfortable with Sakura being here..."

"STOP!" a woman's voice rung out.

"You promised my daughter you'd let Sasuke marry her, Fugaku. Either that, or Aki dies, remember?"

The woman resembled...

Crap! It was Chika's mother.

She grabbed a knife from her pocket and put it a few centimeters away from Aki.

Itachi seemed to not care that his son was about to die in a matter of seconds.

"D-Daddy! Save me!" Aki whimpered. Sakura frowned, but did nothing to stop the madwoman.

"Shut up, idiot!" the woman said. The knife touched Aki's throat.

Father sighed and mumbled, "Let us talk this out, Midori-san-"

"Talk?! I've done enough talking! First, it was Akemi and Itachi, remember? Now, it's Chika and Sasuke! Do you not see how miserable that pinky's making the poor boy? Why can't you let my little Chika help?!" she screamed.

"Midori! Akemi didn't like Itachi, so we set her free. I don't want our generation to torture this new one!"

"Oh, but Fugaku! It wasn't just Akemi and Itachi or Sasuke and Chika. There was me and you, too. You ran off to marry that whore-"

"Mikoto is not a whore! This has gone on long enough, Midori! Let go of the past!"

I'd never heard this side of my parents' story. Maybe this was why my dad was always so overprotective of Mom...

"Fine, just keep the filthy kid! Let's go, Chika! There are better men in this world that would just_ die_ for your attention."

Chika ran to catch up with her mother. I stepped down the altar and walked to Sakura.

She didn't seem to notice that I was headed her way, because she ran over to the crowd that had formed around Aki.

"Aki-kun, are you okay?" she asked.

"Sakura-nii-chan! That lady was so scary!" he cried.

Itachi walked over and picked his son up. He walked outside, and motioned for me and Sakura to follow him.

* * *

**Outside (Sakura's POV)**

"Someone has to get married today, or else Hidan's going to explode on me at work tomorrow," Itachi stated bluntly once we were clear of the crowd.

"Who will?" I asked him.

Surely he wasn't suggesting...

"You and Sasuke, of course."

...but he was.

"I don't mind. It'd be a great relief for me," Sasuke said. The brothers looked at me, and Aki slowly turned his gaze from his dad to me.

Crap!

_Just wait until he finds someone else,_ I warned myself.

"I'm not okay with it. Please try to understand that this isn't the life I want. I don't want children of my own, nor a love life. The only thing I need right now is work and my siblings and friends are more than enough to handle," I said.

"We don't have to have children just yet, Sakura. And you'd still work at the hospital, and I'll still work with Itachi, if you want. And siblings and friends? You can still hang out with them," Sasuke tried to convince me.

"No, Sasuke. I don't want to get married."

Without answering, Sasuke lifted me up and took me back to the altar.

"This woman and I will be wedded today," he told Hidan and the crowd.

So after saying our vows yet again, we went home and changed for the party.

"Sakura, I'm very happy with what I did earlier, and I know you are too."

"What do you mean?"

No way was this jerk a mind reader.

"I saw it in your eyes when I looked down, Sakura-koi. True love."

He smirked that stupid smirk again.

"Fine, so maybe I do love you. It still doesn't mean you can force me into marriage."

"Actually, it does. You weren't that high in the air when I carried you, right?"

"Sasuke-kun, it was six feet in he air. Yes, it was very high to me."

_Seeing as I can barely reach his lips when I'm standing tiptoed,_ I added to myself.

"Oh, right."

Was he leaning closer?

NO!

And we kissed for the third time.

It was very passionate, unlike the gentle one at the altar. I liked this one a _lot_ better.

So I wasn't afraid of love anymore, okay? I'm obsessed with it, especially with this man.

As we stepped into the living room of the mansion, all eyes stared at us.

Sasuke gave me a confident smile, and we danced.

Slowly, everyone else in the room was dancing: Ino and Shikamaru, Neji and Tenten, Naruto and Hinata, Karin and Suigetsu, Fugaku and Mikoto, even Itachi and the very-much-sane Akemi!

I was kind of sad that my dad didn't show up at the party, even though we told him a few hours before it began.

But I didn't need him or my stepmom to ruin my special night.

This was still the best party ever, as Sasuke and I danced, his arms wrapped around me and my hands on his chest.

"Look around, Sakura," Sasuke said, "it's your happily ever after."

I couldn't help but to let a few tears escape and run down my cheeks. Sasuke held me closer

Those words sounded so beautiful...

My happily ever after.

* * *

**That's the end, unfortunately.**

**I wanted to make it a lot longer, but I'm saving that for the sequel. **

**IF I GET OVER 25 REVIEWS FOR THIS STORY (TOTAL), THE SEQUEL WILL BE PUBLISHED!**

**Yes, the sequel will be about 10-15 chapters, for anyone who wants to know!**

**pinkmuffinz**


	7. AN SEQUEL IS UP!

**Hey! Sorry for the holdup, but the sequel is up now! The title is "We Are Family." **

**Please read the summary to answer any questions!**

**If you still have anything to ask, please PM me!**

**pinkmuffinz**


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